$273K sidewalk, bridge project a decade in the making

One of the big-ticket items approved by the Moberly City Council on Monday night (Oct. 21) was a hefty part of a health-related project over a decade in the making.

Moberly Director of Community Development Tom Sanders told the MMI on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 23) that the item marked the “Sturgeon Street Pedestrian Bridge Project” on Monday’s agenda — a $273,254.50 bid low bid awarded to T.S. Banze Construction Company — a part of the efforts by the city to create an extended walking trail from the downtown district to the walking trail park area that starts on Wightman and continues south.

“That was all laid out in the late 90s, early 2000s,” Sanders said. Such was done to provide kids in that area with “walk-ability to school districts,” bicycle riders with safer routes to travel, and families with a way to get to the different parks in town. That last part of the project is still in the pipeline, as is an expansion of said trail to the north, Sanders said.

“We're wanting to eventually expand down toward Morley Street,” he said. “It’s all depending upon the funding.”

The city is currently working with MoDOT to secure funds for such.

According to Sanders, approximately 80 percent of the funds to be used on the bridge project come from “federal dollars passed through MoDOT.”

The bridge, itself, will be located “where Sturgeon intersects with Rollins,” per Sanders. The city opted to go with an eight-foot-wide steel bridge, which will cross over Rollins at the juniper bush behind the train depot park.

“The bridge and trail [extension] were both bid together,” Sanders said. “When you have a plan like that, it really helps you get grant applications.”

Sanders said the bridge will “have that railroad look to it,” to go with the theme of the Magic City.

“It’s called rusting metal,” he said, of the material used to make the bridge. “Once it gets to a certain level, oxidation stops, and it has a nice rusty look. As far as longevity, this is the one that makes sense.”

Sanders said the low price of the bid, along with the need for fewer repairs and upkeeping measures led to the selection of the steele bridge.

“[And] aesthetics are a big part of the trail,” he said. “You want something that will be nice looking.”

Construction, including additional sidewalk installation and the bridge, itself, is “going to take a little while,” he said.

“It’s possible that we could get the trail partially constructed this fall or winter,” Sanders noted. “There’s still going to be quite a bit of construction in the spring. It will probably be a spring set.”

It will be at least 30 days before said construction begins, he said. When the bridge is being installed, Sanders stated that parts of Rollins Street would be closed for “a few hours.”

“It won’t be days or weeks or anything like that,” he said.

Three companys were listed as bidding on the bridge project, including T.S. Banze, Boone Construction Co., and JC Industries.

Wooden and steele bridges were both considered for the trail, in eight- and 13-foot renderings. The Banze bid came in below the two others on the eight-foot steel bridge, and well below the engineer’s estimate of $353,428.50.